The air around them suddenly grew heavy and biting cold. Amidst the silent ruins, an eerie, golden glow pierced the darkness. From the shadows, a man stepped forward with an unnatural grace, his fingers curled tightly around the Holy Grail.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The slow, rhythmic sound of his applause echoed, slicing through the suffocating tension. "I didn't expect you all to make it this far. It's truly beyond my calculations," he said. His eyes gleamed with a terrifying arrogance.
Mash's knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on her shield. Her Servant instincts were screaming danger; there was something fundamentally wrong with the existence before her. "Professor Lev...?" she whispered, her breath catching in shock.
Through the wrist communicator, Dr. Roman's voice broke the silence, accompanied by crackling static. There was sheer panic in his tone. "Lev?! Professor Lev is there?!"
Lev tilted his head, a condescending smile carving its way across his face. "Hm, is that Romani? So you survived as well," he greeted, his voice entirely devoid of emotion. "I told you to head to the command room immediately, but you didn't listen. Why do humans always try so hard to run from their pitiful destiny?"
The murderous aura radiating from Lev made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. "Master, get back!" Mash shouted. She threw herself in front of her master as a living shield, dropping into a combat stance. "That man is incredibly dangerous. The entity before us... that is not the Professor Lev we know!"
But logic could no longer reach Olga Marie. Her exhausted, despair-filled eyes suddenly sparked with a sliver of false hope. Ignoring Mash's warning, she stumbled toward him like a drowning woman reaching for a lifeline. "Lev! Oh, Lev! Thank goodness you're alive! I honestly didn't know what I would do without you!"
Olga's steps halted a few feet away. The man did not welcome her. Lev looked her up and down as if inspecting a disgusting insect. His lips curled into a sinister smirk. "Hi, Olga. It seems you've been through a lot of troublesome things yourself."
Olga let out a nervous laugh, her hands trembling violently as she clutched her own arms. "Yes, exactly, Lev! This whole situation is completely absurd! My head feels like it's going to split open dealing with all of this." She swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a pleading whimper. "But... but now that you're here, everything will be fine, right?"
Lev scoffed harshly. "Of course. To be honest, seeing you here is highly annoying. I went through all the trouble of placing a bomb right under your feet, Olga. It's a miracle you still managed to survive."
Olga's world seemingly stopped turning. It felt as though the air had been violently ripped from her lungs. "W-what? Lev... what... what do you mean?" she whispered, her face now as pale as a corpse. Her legs shook so badly she nearly collapsed.
"Wait, let me correct myself." Lev's grin stretched ear to ear, revealing a sadistic glee. "You are actually already dead. Or at least, your physical body is." He took a step forward, savoring every second of the terror washing over Olga's face. "You don't have the aptitude for Rayshift, do you? You can't jump dimensions as long as you have flesh and bone. But, since your body was blown to pieces, this anomalous jump became possible. You're nothing but a ghost. So, the moment you are pulled back to Chaldea, this consciousness of yours will vanish entirely."
Lev's laughter erupted, echoing wildly and cruelly in the oppressive air.
"What...?" Olga's knees finally gave out. She stared at her own palms with a mind-numbing horror. "I'll... vanish?" Tears of utter despair began to well up in her eyes. "Wait... you mean I can't go back to Chaldea?!"
"Exactly. Such a truly pathetic end for you," Lev mocked, his eyes entirely devoid of pity, replaced instead by the dark flash of ambition. "But before you disappear, let me show you... the fate of the Chaldea you dedicated your entire, worthless life to."
A deafening spatial tear ripped through the air. A massive portal yawned open before Lev and Olga, radiating blistering heat and a blinding, blood-red light. Beyond it, the globe of CHALDEAS was no longer a glowing blue sphere; it was burning like a sea of hellfire, screaming of absolute annihilation.
"What is that...?" Olga's eyes widened in sheer horror, reflecting the flames from across the portal. She gasped for air. "This is a lie, right? This is just an illusion you created, right, Lev?!"
Lev spread his arms with nauseating arrogance. "This is reality. I connected the dimensions specifically for you. By using the Holy Grail, such a feat is child's play. Behold, descendant of the Animusphere. Witness the culmination of your foolishness!" he proclaimed.
Suddenly, the gravity around them shifted. Olga let out a panicked shriek as an invisible, overwhelming force seized her body, dragging her inexorably toward the burning gateway. "What?! Something is pulling me! My body... I can't resist it!"
"I told you, this is directly connected to CHALDEAS," Lev laughed, a sound dripping with sadistic ecstasy. "That is exactly why I'm granting your final wish. Go on, Olga. Touch your precious treasure."
"Wait! What do you mean, Lev? Stop! That's the core of CHALDEAS!" Olga thrashed wildly, her nails clawing uselessly at the empty air, her instincts screaming of an indescribable danger.
"Correct. And its current state is no different from a black hole or the core of a sun," Lev stared down at her with eyes devoid of a single shred of sympathy. "Any mortal who touches it will be obliterated at a molecular level. An endless death where you will continuously burn but never truly die."
"NO! Please, somebody help me! I don't want to die here!" Olga's desperate scream echoed, a heart-wrenching sound of pure despair.
"Mass Hold Species!"
A calm baritone voice, yet one carrying undeniable, absolute authority, sliced through the chaos. It was Fujimaru.
In the blink of an eye, the gravitational anomaly vanished. Space and time around the portal seemed to freeze entirely. The bodies of Lev and Olga halted mid-air, completely paralyzed like stone statues.
"W-what is happening?!" Lev's eyes darted wildly, flashing with immense shock as he realized he had lost all control over his own physical form.
Slowly, their rigid bodies floated backward, pulled safely away from the portal of death and toward Fujimaru and Mash. Lev was brought to a halt directly in front of Fujimaru, while Olga's body was gently lowered near Mash. Unable to bear the sheer terror and shock any longer, Olga's consciousness finally faded, and she passed out.
"Director, you are safe now," Fujimaru said calmly, his gaze locked intensely on Lev. "Mash, please take care of the Director."
"Senpai...?" Mash murmured in awe, staring at her Master's back, which now exuded an overwhelming, unfamiliar aura.
"Rest easy, Mash. Everything will be fine." Fujimaru stepped forward, closing the distance to the paralyzed man. "Now, Lev Leinur Flauros. Tell me all the information you have inside that head of yours! Charm Person!"
The high-tier mental magic slammed into Lev's mind. The man's eyes went blank for a moment, his jaw moving stiffly against his own will. "I am... the Demon God Flauros... tasked by our king to eradicate humanity in the year 2017. The entire surface of the earth has been turned to ash... unfortunately, only the inhabitants of Chaldea survived due to its magnetic shielding anomaly." Lev—or the entity calling itself Flauros—spilled the truth under the magic's absolute coercion.
"What is the name of your king?" Natan (Fujimaru) interrogated, his tone growing increasingly intimidating, cold and sharp as a blade.
"Our king is—" Flauros's mouth trembled violently. The veins in his neck bulged as if they were about to burst.
"YOU LOWLY SCUM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!" Flauros howled in sheer fury, shattering the magical constraints through pure, unadulterated rage. "DIE, YOU TRASH!"
His human shell exploded from within. Flesh, blood, and bone mutated in a matter of seconds. Where Lev had stood, a grotesque, towering pillar of flesh now loomed. Its grotesque body was blood-red, wrapped in dark, circular lines from which hundreds of glowing red eyes opened simultaneously, glaring down with unfathomable hatred.
"The Time of Awakening Hath Come!" The demonic pillar pulsed with a dark red aura, absorbing the surrounding energy as it swelled to an impossible size, preparing to annihilate everything in its path.
"Gaze! Blink! Crossed Eyes! Red Eyes!" Flauros's distorted voice boomed alongside a barrage of dark crimson lasers that scorched the air, bombarding their position mercilessly.
"Incineration Ritual: Flauros!" For his final strike, the massive pillar unleashed a colossal wave of destructive light, sweeping the entire area in a blinding explosion of heat.
"Taste that, you pathetic gnats! HAHAHA!" Flauros's demonic laughter thundered, shaking the ruins of Fuyuki.
But his laughter was cut agonizingly short.
As the thick smoke and dust slowly cleared, Momon and the others stood tall, completely unscathed. A shimmering, emerald-green dome of energy enveloped them the absolute protection of the spell, 'Anti-life Cocoon'.
"Since you refuse to tell me willingly..." Momon casually brushed the dust off his shoulder. His gaze pierced the demonic pillar as if looking at a dead insect. "...I will just have to find out myself later. Pass this message to your king in hell: I will be coming for you all soon."
Momon reached his right hand into the empty space before him. The air rippled, and from the void, he drew the Pentagram. It was a half-meter cutlass, its hilt adorned with elegant gold ornaments, while its blade radiated a clear, deadly sky-blue light.
Wasting no time, Momon's figure blurred with speeds the eye couldn't follow.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
Five lightning-fast slashes tore through the air, leaving behind trails of blue light that formed a five-pointed star across Flauros's colossal body. Triggering the unique ability of the Legacy Tier weapon, the five consecutive strikes invoked an absolute curse: Instant Death.
There was no scream. There was no explosion. The massive pillar of flesh that had just radiated pure terror suddenly froze, its life force extinguished in a fraction of a second, before it crumbled into a rain of black ash, blown away by the winds of destruction.
The victory, however, came with a heavy price.
"Senpai! What is happening to your right arm?!" Mash's scream shattered the silence, her voice trembling with absolute panic. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at Fujimaru's right arm. From his fingertips up to his elbow, flesh and bone were slowly disintegrating, peeling away into black ash that scattered in the wind as if his very existence was being erased.
Fujimaru looked down at his crumbling limb without a single change in expression, as if the pain were merely an illusion. "It's nothing, Mash. This is simply the sacrifice of using Pentagram and magic."
"Senpai! Please don't... don't leave me all alone!" Mash burst into tears. Hot streams rolled down her cheeks as she gazed at the man who had just saved her life. The sheer terror of losing him struck her chest harder than any enemy's attack ever could.
Smiling gently, Fujimaru raised his intact left hand and tenderly patted the girl's head. "You silly girl. I'm not going anywhere. I will stay right here by your side. Come on, let's go back to Chaldea together."
But the warm touch was not enough to quell her sobs. "But your right arm... it's falling apart, Senpai!" she wept bitterly.
"It might look terrible, but believe me, I am perfectly fine," Fujimaru reassured her, his tone steady and full of unwavering confidence.
"This is all my fault!" Mash cried harder, her shoulders shaking as she blamed herself. "I was too weak... If only I were stronger, you wouldn't have had to sacrifice your arm to protect me!"
"You did your best. You're a good girl, Mash," Fujimaru whispered softly, his left thumb wiping away the tears staining the Demi-Servant's cheeks.
Setting the sorrow aside for a moment, Fujimaru shifted his gaze to the lifeless body of Olga Marie. Once again, he reached his left hand into the empty void. The space rippled like the surface of water, and from his dimensional storage, he pulled out a majestic relic radiating a divine, imposing aura.
It was the Greater Resurrection Wand. A lavish, sixty-centimeter-long wand plated in pure gold, its head blooming with embedded jewels like a monarch's grand crown. This was no ordinary artifact; sealed within it was the 9th Tier Magic, True Resurrection an absolute miracle capable of restoring life without penalty, even able to reconstruct a physical vessel from nothingness as long as the soul remained tethered.
"True Resurrection!" Fujimaru chanted with clear, absolute authority.
Responding to its master's command, the wand flared with a blinding golden light before cracking and crumbling into luminous dust the absolute price for a one-time miracle. In exchange, the golden dust enveloped Director Olga Marie's body. Her silhouette shone brilliantly like a newborn star, weaving back the severed threads of her life, before the glow slowly dimmed.
Olga Marie's body glowed and began to reconstruct perfectly, becoming even more beautiful than before, and she now met the requirements to be a Master. The heavenly relic turning to ash was undeniable proof: the resurrection was a success. The Director had been pulled back from the clutches of death.
The communication link with the command room was completely severed, leaving behind only the cold hiss of static. At the exact same moment, violent tremors shook the earth beneath their feet. The underground cavern was collapsing; massive boulders plummeted from the severely fractured ceiling, threatening to bury them alive in the ruins of the Singularity.
"Let's go home to Chaldea together with the Director, Mash. I'm sorry I can only offer you my left hand," Fujimaru said, his calm tone contrasting sharply with the destruction surrounding them. He stood up and extended his sole remaining arm to the girl.
Even though Mash had absolutely no idea how they could possibly cross through time without the Rayshift facility, there was not a single trace of doubt in her eyes. The series of impossible miracles she had just witnessed had cemented an absolute, unwavering trust in her Senpai. Grasping his hand tightly, Mash stood up, securely supporting the body of Olga Marie, whose breathing was now steadying a sign that the Director would soon regain consciousness.
Unfazed by the collapsing cave, Fujimaru once again reached his left hand into the empty void. From his dimensional storage, he drew out an ancient golden key. It radiated a majestic magical aura, covered in incredibly intricate and beautiful engravings. He held the key up to the empty air before him and turned it slowly, as if unlocking an invisible door.
Click.
Somehow, the crisp sound of the turning key echoed clearly, cutting through the deafening roar of falling rocks. In an instant, the space before them split open like a curtain, forming a dimensional portal that cast a mystical glow. Its purpose fulfilled, the majestic golden key in Fujimaru's hand crumbled into sparkling dust that scattered in the wind.
"Gate!"
The highest-tier spatial magic stabilized the dimensional rift, creating a safest pathway connecting directly to their destination with no chance of mistake. Without looking back at the crumbling world behind them, Fujimaru and Mash stepped through the portal. Carrying the Holy Grail and the restored life of their Director, the two walked through space and time, heading back to Chaldea's Command Room.
The air in Chaldea's Command Room suddenly distorted, triggering warning alarms that made the entire staff hold their breath. Abruptly, a dimensional portal tore open in the middle of the room. From the mystical light, Fujimaru stepped out carrying the Holy Grail, followed by Mash, who was supporting the unconscious Director Olga Marie. The moment their feet touched the metal floor of Chaldea, the portal snapped shut and vanished without a trace as if it had never existed.
The momentary silence was broken by gasps of disbelief. Dr. Roman rushed toward them, his eyes wide with shock. By his side stood a remarkably beautiful woman whose enigmatic smile seemed to have leaped straight out of the legendary masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. She wore an elegant red dress draped in a blue cloak, holding a staff crowned with a blue crystal that emitted a soft halo of light.
"You... you're back?!" Dr. Roman exclaimed, his voice cracking from shock. "How is this possible?! We haven't even finished preparing the Rayshift system!"
Roman's gaze then locked onto Fujimaru's empty right sleeve. His expression instantly shifted into the panicked urgency of a doctor. "Fujimaru, your arm! Let me see it! I may not look it, but I'm still the Head of the Medical Division!"
With trembling hands, Dr. Roman felt Fujimaru's sleeve. However, he felt absolutely nothing. No flesh, no bone, not even any bleeding. Confirming his worst fears, the young man's right arm was completely gone, as if erased from existence.
Seeing Dr. Roman's pale face, Fujimaru merely responded with a casual remark. "The Director is going to wake up soon, Doctor. I suggest you find something useful to do before she wakes up and scolds you relentlessly."
"This is absolutely not the time for jokes, you know!" Dr. Roman scolded, practically tearing his own hair out in frustration at the young Master's composure.
A crisp, melodious laugh suddenly echoed, breaking the tension. "Fufu! Hahaha! It seems our Master Number 48 is a truly fascinating individual," said the Mona Lisa look-alike, her eyes sparkling with profound curiosity.
"Ah! That's right, I almost forgot," Dr. Roman massaged his throbbing temples. "Fujimaru, let me introduce you. This is Leonardo da Vinci, Chaldea's third Servant and the Head of the Technology Development Division."
"Hello there, young Master!" Da Vinci greeted with an enigmatic smile, her eyes studying Fujimaru with an unusual level of intrigue.
Behind his composed demeanor, Fujimaru's eyes flashed gold for a fraction of a millisecond. He silently activated his skill True Name Discrement EX.
Name: Leonardo Da Vinci
Class: Caster
Atribut: Star
Gender: Female
Aligment: Chaotic Good
Class Skill
Item Construction (A Rank): Produces devices carrying magical energy. Capable of creating a potion of limited immortality, or a spare body to use if her actual body is destroyed.
Territory Creation (A Rank): Creates a "Workshop" advantageous to a magus. Capable of creating a superior "Temple" and doubling its internal room by warping space.
Personal Skills
Inherent Wisdom (EX Rank): Skill that shows one who has an unparalleled natural knowledge. Except for those that are a burden to the body (such as Divinity) and those that are characteristic of certain heroes, many Skills can be practically demonstrated at a proficiency of A Rank.
Pioneer of the Stars (EX Rank): Given to heroes who became turning points in human history. Turns impossible challenges into realizable events.
Mona Lisa (A Rank): Possession of a perfect, youth-preserving goddess-like body, acquired when she intentionally "redesigned" herself as a female.
Stats:
Strength E | Endurance E | Agility C | Mana A+ | Luck B | NP EX
Noble Phantasms:
Uomo Universale: The Universal Man Anti Unit/Anti Army EX Rank:
The manifestation of da Vinci's legendary omnipotence. Instantly analyzes targets and adjusts her gauntlet to fire a "compulsory" fixed-damage magical attack. This damage cannot be reduced by any defensive Noble Phantasm or Skill.
"How can you be so relaxed, Da Vinci?!" Dr. Roman's scolding broke Fujimaru's silent analysis.
"Fufu, how about we discuss all this further in the conference room?" Da Vinci suggested. As she stepped forward, her hand swiftly brushed against Mash's shield, a seemingly casual touch that was more than enough to trigger a rapid analysis using her Noble Phantasm. Without waiting for an answer, Da Vinci pulled Mash, who was still supporting the Director, along with her.
"Sigh... she always does whatever she wants. Just follow her," Dr. Roman complained, defeated.
They walked through an advanced, sterile steel corridor until they reached an empty conference room, furnished only with a U-shaped table and some chairs. Da Vinci helped lay the unconscious Olga Marie on a sofa, then guided Mash to a seat. Fujimaru and Dr. Roman entered and took their respective chairs.
Instantly, Da Vinci's cheerful smile vanished. The atmosphere in the room grew suffocatingly heavy.
"So... who are you, really?" Da Vinci's tone was now cold, sharp, and highly calculating.
"W-what do you mean?" Mash was startled, looking at Da Vinci in confusion.
"I caught a glimpse of that dimensional gate before it vanished," Da Vinci leaned forward, her piercing gaze locked onto Fujimaru. "I can confirm with absolute certainty that it was a dimensional gate with a hundred percent stability. For humanity, creating a dimensional rift is already a miracle, let alone maintaining one with such perfect stability."
Da Vinci tapped her finger on the table. "That was where my suspicion began. And my theory was just reinforced. When I touched Mash's shield in the hallway, I used the first stage of my Noble Phantasm to analyze the history of your battles."
Mash's eyes widened as she realized the Caster's cunning.
"I 'saw' you use a strange jewel orb to summon a Magma Elemental. You also summoned a four-winged entity resembling an angel, you cast high-tier magic to buff your allies and debuff your enemies relentlessly, and most importantly you are resurrecting Director without consequences using a staff." Da Vinci explained. "Furthermore, your calmness regarding the loss of your right arm is utterly unnatural. You weren't in shock, nor in pain."
The room fell dead silent. Dr. Roman held his breath.
"This is enough to prove you are not human," Da Vinci continued dissecting her logic. "You aren't a user of True Magic, as they are bound by the rules of their respective magic. You aren't a Dead Apostle Ancestor, either because of divinity you summon. That leaves two possibilities: you are a Divine Spirit or a Heroic Spirit."
Da Vinci smiled triumphantly. "But a Divine Spirit requires an incredibly strong, specific vessel, so that's impossible for this ordinary boy. The final conclusion: you are a Heroic Spirit inhabiting a human vessel a Pseudo-Servant. Unfortunately, your true identity still eludes me. Is my deduction logical enough, Candidate Number 48?"
"Senpai..." Mash looked down, her heart sinking at the revelation.
"Your deduction is highly logical and accurate," Fujimaru finally spoke, his voice calm and completely unbothered. "Sooner or later, this was bound to be revealed. Mash, you and I share a similar yet fundamentally different condition."
Fujimaru turned to the marshmallow-haired girl. "You received power from a Servant, but that Servant surrendered their power and allowed their consciousness to fade in order to save your life. I, on the other hand, was summoned into this body. Unfortunately, this young man's original soul was too fragile to withstand my immense power and existence. Ultimately, my soul inadvertently dominated this vessel entirely."
"Senpai...! So... does that mean all this time, all your kindness... were you just pretending?!" Mash's voice trembled, betrayal and sorrow threatening to overwhelm her.
"No, Mash," Fujimaru answered softly, looking directly into her tear-filled eyes. "I hid my true nature, yes. But every trait, every action, and the bond we formed in Fuyuki was entirely genuine. I have never lied to you about who I am to you. You are my partner."
Hearing the absolute sincerity in his voice, the heavy burden crushing Mash's chest slowly lifted. She wiped her eyes and gave a small nod, a glimmer of relief returning to her face.
"In that case, now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, why don't you introduce your true self?" Da Vinci challenged, leaning back in her chair.
"It is regrettable, but I must decline that request," Fujimaru replied evenly. "Please, continue to call me Fujimaru Ritsuka. I choose to keep using this unfortunate young man's name out of guilt for unintentionally taking over his life. I want his name to live on, to be etched into history, and to be known by many as a savior."
Fujimaru leaned back, his aura shifting into something undeniably grand and untouchable. "However, I will tell you one thing as a token of cooperation and to show that i have no malevolent intent toward humanity. My Class..."
His eyes glinted seriously. "...is Ruler."